Global warming will ruin fashion industry

Money is no longer enough. As the economies develop, purely financial evaluation of societal growth is no longer sustainable. Social and environmental aspects must be considered as well. We buy things that are eco-friendly and fair-traded; we evaluate our impact on nature (EIA, SEA); we advance social entrepreneurship. Soon, the competitive advantage of nations will consist in quality of life rather than labour cost arbitrage.

Why? Because we (ie developed countries) are wealthy enough to afford a shift from quantity to quality. We have clean streets, no child work, safe products, good education, etc. In such a situation, we can afford to care about the environment and consequences for the future.

If you think of it this way, global warming (however its existence may disputed in academia) is not a media swindle, but rather a clever justification of such long-term mission of (and transition to) new source of societal progress.

And the fashion industry? As we progress towards more eco-conscious consumption routines which will re-appreciate durable goods, we will abadon the fashion hype that forces us twice a year to buy a whole new collection. (Cf with this.)

Radical, isn't it? What's your opinion?

(Photo: Adam Foster, Flickr CC)

Being a Linchpin

'Oh God' I said to myself after couple of pages from Seth Godin's new book called Linchpin. His speedily language and straight-to-the-point advices bored me after a while. However, then I had to reconsider the first impression as I reached reflexively for my postits and pen - a sign that something interesting is going on.

Basic argument is very simple (which is typical for his books). Nowadays, you have to offer something unique to others because there is no longer demand for colorless workers who obey the rules. The demand is for fresh ideas and rebels that can challenge present situation, lead the others and get things done their way. You must be creative, energetic, strong, innovative and ready to defend your stance. And he is right, I can tell from own experience this is crucial. My boss didn't want me to be obedient and nodding; she appreciated different opinion and guts.

I like Godin because along with suppling readers with motivation and confidence (however temporary thay may be), he is one of the few people who explore the edges of today's economy and try answer questions such as how to focus on long term personal goals in a world that distracts the hell out of you every other minute via Facebook and e-mail, or how to sustain advantage and growth in a goods-saturated markets, or how to make rational choices in overinformed situations, etc. You can't find answers to such questions in Economics 101 handbooks, or can you?